I don’t want to believe that I am a job hopper, since a lot of times it really was bad management, “power harassment”, or COVID restructuring. But regardless, the end result is that I am a job hopper resume-wise, staying in a company for no longer than 3 years.
(edit) Forgot to mention that this is my 8th year working in Japan. ) (/edit)
Any of you in similar situation, where you end up job hopping because you feel the Japanese management just isn’t a good fit, or somehow just don’t seem to have the luck of finding that dream company that fits you best or allowing you to stay?
Has this greatly impacted your ability to search for a new job?
I am still on my job right now, but recent frustrating events interacting with management really make me doubting the future of the company and I don’t feel I am learning any relevant experience.
That said, I am so scared of my job hopping resume won’t land me other jobs anymore (This is my 5th job in Japan and I am 35+)
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2nd job in Japan. I was with former company 4 years, this company for 5+. I got questions several times during interviews because I was with my first company out of college for 12 years then no place longer than 4…
The grass is always greener.
I have seen many expats complain about their jobs, quit and switch to another one only to find that the grass wasn’t so green after switching.
Changing jobs for career progression is one thing, and leaving because of bad conditions is certainly valid – but be careful that you are not getting hung up on things you might experience everywhere else or even back home.
> recent frustrating events interacting with management really make me doubting the future of the company
Do you get paid well? Is your overtime crazy? People/management will be everywhere and a job is a job. For job hopping, be careful you are hopping to strenghten your resume and not weakening it. At your age you don’t want to end up being replaced by a 20-something year old who has more years of experience than you.
In Japan you don’t change jobs, jobs change *you*.
I have 6 jobs in my 10 years in Japan. The reason I change job has always been the same, more money and better opportunities. If I stay in my original job, I would make a fraction of what I’m making today. I don’t think any potential employer has brough up my job history either. But it’s not impossible that some of my rejections are due to it, which is a trade off I’m willing to make.
Im 35 and have never stayed at a job more than 3 years. Every time i find a better job as in large pay incease. Some companies hate me for it, but you really dont want to work for a company that thinks it isa bad thing to be highly desired by other companies. Current salary is 13m yen.
Three times in eight years.
4 jobs in 10 years, currently interviewing for my 5th one.
I only change when I feel like my position does not give me enough authority to make the changes needed to improve the company.
I left my second job after 2 months because “we know we hired you to change things, but the higher ups do not like changing things, so fix problems the way we always did, the way that never worked and led us to hiring you”.
The first job was just underpaid.
Third job opened a position as section lead, only to give it to a fucking fresh graduate with 0 job experience because he was from Todai. I had 21 years of experience in my field at the time and 4 years in that company. No way I was going to let a guy who was a toddler when I started working become my lead.
4th (and current) company treats me extremely well, I got promoted twice, can work from home, lead a team but they do not want to invest into a R&D team. I have seen every project suffer from the same exact (extremely costly) problems, problems that could be solved by investing into R&D. Because of this, while I think the company still has a future, they are slowly losing their edge on the market. If they announce the creation of a R&D team for the new fiscal year, I’ll 100% stay, despite the company I applied to offering 6millions more per year.
The company I am applying to is actually building a R&D team and they need a technical director. Hopefully this will be my last company.
Twice
First job I was only a Haken so the jump to seishyain was worth it. I only worked 8 months so I couldn’t negotiate a good salary increase.
Second job I worked 2 years and I abandoned my chip making job for software. Best decision of my life so far.
Current job will be hitting the 7 year mark soon. It has flexible hours great pay but I do kinda feel maxed out in this position. If by any chance a better position comes along I might move but otherwise I would be content in my current position forever worst case.
I started out as an English teacher at an eikaiwa because that’s what was available when I first arrived here. I was later offered an opportunity to join an international trading company as a partner through some contacts I had made and I’ve been doing that ever since, so I changed jobs once.
For this kind of question, the field really matters.
In general 3 years is not job-hopping, I think. Under 1 year in several successive attempts with similar job titles would be. Though, I dont know how a japanese job market treats this question in general (I know the rules for my field and there you would be doing just about the average mobility).
Zero job changes, though I have worked in several departments in the same company.
In the tough early years I didn’t attempt to change because I didn’t want to be a quitter. In the middle years I didn’t because the job was pleasant enough and paid a good salary. Now in the later years with my dinosaur skillset and brain I don’t think I’m capable of beating out dozens of other applicants to pass an interview for a better job.
Don’t feel like your job hopping is bad. It’s standard these days; a resume at your age *without* any job hops would look worse than what you have. Have you been getting salary increases with your moves?
As long as you have skills, that 3 years per employment wouldn’t matter IMO. Just as long you keep rising your position, you’re in a good place to switch.
I’m around your age so I understand your worry though. I’m in my 4th job in10+ years, but I actually went back to my old job after I left them during the pandemic. I know I’m in the minority here, but going back was one of the best thing I did. The comment about grass is greener is true. You just won’t realize it after you switched. So returning is actually a valid career path, and with people you already know, they won’t care about your age. One thing to think about.
You’ve only changed jobs 5 times in eight years? I’ve been here five years and changed jobs at least six times. One job died ’cause of the pandemic. Part of that is because I have an anxiety disorder, but I’m also probably just not right for Japan if I’m being honest.
The longest I’ve been at one job was 2 years 4months, and I’ve been doing freelance translation and interpretation work for just over a year now. Those first two years though? Man I did NOT have my shit together at all and also made bad choices with several ブラック企業. One was a native-checker game company that only paid 13万 a month for fulltime work; NEVER work for Digital Hearts. Another was a shady chemical testing company with equipment that was dissolving apart, and of course there were a few sketchy ALT and 英会話 jobs.
I’ve changed twice, first job was at a Japanese startup, I absolutely hated it, long grueling hours for shitty pay and a company that wouldn’t even spring for proper networking equipment for the office. Second at a big Japanese firm, one that’s kind of famous here, and it was meh(but this was before they wanted engineers to sling cell phone contracts). The pay wasn’t awful, the working hours weren’t either, but they weren’t spectacular. Finally worked for a gaishikei and enjoy it.
First job 2.5 years
2nd job 2.5 years
3rd and current job coming up on 4 years
It’s fine. I had good reasons to make the switch (more specialized/better jobs) and the interviewers understood that I was foreign and not in it for a lifelong career.
Within 6 years 4 times
I’m on my 3rd, 15 years.
First job was a shock (4 years), 12 hours a day, weekends as well for 6 months! The lead joked that “this happen every time we’re delivering a new product, which is about once in 2 ~ 3 years.”. Big nope for me!
Second job (6 years) was with people from previous job. Long story short, CEO got greedy, walk back on all the promises he made about making “better” company than previous one. Big nope for me!
Third job (going 5 years) is going pretty good. I actually did some research and applied directly without recruiters. It’s a big company, so it’s very compliant on government rules about work life balance and what not.
My current job is my 3rd job in 5 years here. First one sucked so I changed after 6 months. I stayed a bit more than 4 years in my second one and changed when they asked us to go back to the office in a hybrid manner. My current one is full remote, pays well and the environment is super relaxed. I could be making a bit more in a FAANG company but I wouldn’t change remote work for better pay. So I think I’ll stick here for a while.
I never felt that changing jobs frequently had any impact on my interview opportunities. I’ve been doing this my whole career. That 4 years spell at my previous job was the longest in my career.
Only one job in my 12+ years in Japan and I’m still there. I think I have been rather lucky considering it’s a pretty traditional Japanese company with over 65 years in business.
4 jobs in 10 years ( all by choice and an upgrade till I reached CEO for multinational ). Happily have my own businesses now.
Too many job changes BS is so yesterday. Take care of yourselves and your well being. Get paid what you deserve and do what you love.
You don’t owe your employer anything but your best. If they don’t see you eye to eye then upgrade regardless of time at that company
I’m still pretty fresh here so still doing my first job since 2021 but thinking of hopping as soon as next year. Current job pays alright (4.2m before tax), almost no overtime but most tasks I’m assigned to are only mundane ones nobody else wants to do, which leads to almost zero wage increase / no career progression. On the positive side, I get new knowledge all the time.
I only changed jobs once so far. The one that matters most. From eikaiwa “instructor” to literally anything else (in my case a software engineer). I’ve been at my current company for about a year and a half and I’m starting the job hunt because management here is absolutely shit and there is little to no ownership of the code I write. I’m also worried about coming across as a job hopper but I care more about being in a better work environment sooo…
Going into my 5th year in my first job in Japan (so zero times) working in internal IT (system integration/IT administration/support) for a Japanese company. Hate the job because there is no room for me to do something since IT is no priority and leadership is lacking (remote work also not allowed). Mid 30s now with 15+ years in IT. Was applying heavily for jobs last year to improve my salary (5M) and gain more/better experiences in Japan, but was not able to find something. Current job killed all my desire to improve or care, therefore no job change probably going forward.
Two years at my first, 29 at my second.
5 yrs and 3 jobs so far!
3 jobs in 10 years. I’m kinda looking for a fourth but I’m pretty limited due to owning a house and needing pay that doesn’t seem to match who is hiring in my area
> I don’t want to believe that I am a job hopper
Dude, it’s Reiwa 5 already. Job hopping has been the trend for more than 10 years. Nobody gives a shit any longer. You can’t even count how many 転職 companies there are out there.
The recruitment system also has to be changed, because young Japanese don’t give a shit and can quit even on the first day in a great company if they don’t like the job or the environment.
Companies are aware they can’t keep employees like they used to when a job for life was the norm.
Within 10 years more than 6
Most of them black kigyou 🥲
Zero job changes in 10+ years, though I have changed positions and offices many times. Reason I haven’t changed is I like my job and what I do, so no real reason to do so.
As someone who hires people now, I don’t have a problem with hiring an experienced person who changes jobs every few years, though I hope we can make a job environment where people don’t want to switch companies and like what we do.
17 years, 0 changes. Not teaching-related.
9 months in japan and at my 5th job
I’ve moved across 4 different industries. I still don’t know what I want to do with my life so heading back to graduate school to get better pay at least.
Been self-employed since 2005. Arrived in Japan in 1997 at 18 years old. From 97 to 2005 I worked all kinds of jobs. Never stayed at one more than a year except being a long-haul delivery driver. I liked that job because I was alone on the road most of the time. No office politics to deal with. The only shitty thing was company was stingy so I had to sleep in the van in konbini parking lots. I was young though so it wasn’t bad. Then I opened a car repair shop in 2005 and been doing that ever since. In 2014 I expanded to also do car import/export.
Just explain that the reason you moved jobs previously was because you were being undervalued and there were better opportunities.
If all your reasons are negative, they will start to think you are the problem.
Been at the same company for a little over 5-years now. Started at 4M and now over 10M. Worked my way up the corporate ladder.
> Any of you in similar situation, where you end up job hopping because you feel the Japanese management just isn’t a good fit, or somehow just don’t seem to have the luck of finding that dream company that fits you best or allowing you to stay?
I’ve also been here close to 10 years, and am also on my 5th job now with a bunch of part-time and freelance gigs in between. Even if you know exactly what you want and ask all the right questions during interviews, a lot of places are so good at virtue signaling, they actually don’t realize they’re full of shit. A very common one is being innovative and open to new ideas for increasing efficiency. But then you start working there and notice that their idea of innovation and idea implementation is completely different from yours.
> Has this greatly impacted your ability to search for a new job?
Also being 35+, definitely, yeah. I’ve applied to plenty of jobs for which I had the experience and achievements but didn’t even get an interview for. It helps aiming for 外資系, since a lot of Japanese companies probably see me as a flake by now. Which is funny, because I’m an extreme workaholic that consistently gets the work done of several people, but loyalty is appreciated way more here than efficiency.
> That said, I am so scared of my job hopping resume won’t land me other jobs anymore (This is my 5th job in Japan and I am 35+)
Don’t quit until you’ve found another job, so there’s nothing to worry about in the meantime. Dress up why you want to switch jobs by the way when you’re doing interviews. And instead of listing all of your jobs, it’s sometimes better to leave out the ones that have nothing to do with the industry you’re aiming for and make up a bullshit excuse (e.g., traveling around the world, taking care of family).
2 jobs in 8 years, from renewable 1-year contracts to permanent position. The rat race is for rats. I need to coast in comfort until I die.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with being a job hopper.
7 years in the same job back in my country, almost 4 years in my first job in Japan and now going for the first year in my new job, and will probably stay for 2 to 3 years, since after I get naturalization I will start looking for another job again. At that point I will be about your age, at the 4th job in my career.
Approaching 4 years and already on my 4th. First laid off due to corona, second to step up and get a higher salary, third was due to randomly being put on overnight shift Monday to Friday and being the only one in the office (no work from home for whatever reason) due to my job “requiring it” despite telling me day shift initially before joining…
I think in general it’s not good to job hop too much but don’t let that stop you from trying to get a job at a company/industry/job function/salary you prefer because life is too short not to act fast and most companies prefer a specific skillset or personality and might be willing to overlook some parts of your resume.
Worst case scenario you don’t get the job. You can always try again a year or 6 months later
This is my 3 year in Japan and I already at my 4th job (IT engineer).
I really don’t do well in a super controlled environment and my productivity drops hard. At the new job I work from a US company; it’s very chill environment and I’m liking it so far but I’m kinda used to job hopping now so I’ll probably switch after a year and a half for a better salary 😀
Even with my situation and my resume I still get recruiters messages. Plus job hopping is how I managed to jump from 3M to 7.5M salary in 3 years so why stop lol
Go get that money my guy 🙂
One time, I’m currently in my late 20s.
First one I’d say I can relate with you, it’s a fully Japanese company and I just can’t stand their old fashioned management style. Although I have to give credit to their new recruit trainings. Left within a year in the job.
This second job is my longest stint now, almost nearing 8 yrs and it’s a gaishi in manufacturing industry. I think I fit this company well, be it the management or the clients or the colleagues. Not without its challenges but overall it’s positive. I’m making around 9-12M but then again this company isn’t your typical tech company so I think this is very decent. This also keeps me from job hopping as usually not many recruiters or other manufacturers is willing to match my age/salary.
I guess it depends what kind of job you have?
I feel like English teaching jobs are not that stable (in my case anyway). I’ve been working here for 8 years and I’m on my 5th job which I also think is a lot but 3 of the companies I worked for went bankrupt and closed (one due to Covid, but the other two were just bad management).
When I got interviewed for my current job they quickly asked why I wasn’t staying in one place for too long but seeing that it was the company’s fault most of time it wasn’t a problem. They did joke and ask me if I had back luck and just put all the schools I worked for into bankruptcy. My current school seems pretty stable and financially okay so I guess I’m fine for now haha